Radnor’s Jackson Hicke celebrates late in the Central League final this month. (PETE BANNAN-DAILY TIMES)
By Bob Grotz
When the buzzer sounded Saturday afternoon, the crowd spilled onto the floor to celebrate a new chapter in Radnor basketball history.
The Raptors won their 26th straight game, breaking the school mark of 25-0 set in 1961. The 66-52 District 1 Class 5A semifinal win over Rustin vaults the Raptors into the district final next Saturday against Unionville at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.
The last time Radnor started this well, it won a district title with a coach who wound up having the arena named after him. Then again, the late Ellis Dwyer not only captured the District 1 Class A title in 1961, but over a 30-year span, he registered seven district pennants among 524 victories … when he wasn’t teaching mathematics.
It’s safe to say Dwyer, who hailed from Twin Oaks and played at Chester High, would have been proud of current coach Jamie Chadwin, much like the Raptors are for giving them meaning.